246 Mr. George Tate on the Fame Islands. 



^o 



of a wreck not broken up, and the account in a.d. 1361 is 

 swelled by .€4 6s, 7d. for a " shipwreck/' The disturbed state 

 of the kingdom at particular periods, and the repeated ravages 

 of the Scots in Noi-thumberland, caused, however, the endow- 

 ments to be irregularly paid, and not unfrequently the revenue 

 fell short of £20. 



These rolls afford interesting information as to the price of 

 various articles and of labour in the middle ages. An acre of 

 meadow land at Newton was, in a.d. 1361, let for 3^., and an 

 acre of arable land at Bamborouj*;h for \s. Hd. ; in a.d. 1430, the 

 rent of a tenement at Bamborough in " Raton Raw " was 3^. 4d. ; 

 and in a.d. 1536, a tenement and two acres of land at Bam- 

 borough produced only 5^. A fat pig in a.d. 1360 sold for 6s. ; 

 a horse for the mill, in a.d. 1420, cost 13^. 4d. ; two ox-hides, in 

 A.D. 1361, sold for 15</. ; for a new boat and oars, in a.d. 1423, 

 there were paid 44^. 4^.; and a horologium (clock), in a.d. 1371, 

 cost 455. For four chalders of coals, 135. 4d/. were paid in a.d. 

 1439; and in a.d. 1455, "eight chald of coals won on the sea-coast 

 at Sunderland with carriage,^' cost only Qs. Sd. Wheat in a.d. 

 1453 was valued at 6s. Sd. per quarter. Wages, however, during 

 the 14th and 15th centuries were low : " sclaters '' and carpenters 

 received Sd. and 4d., and masons 4<d. and 6d. per day. 



These rolls further show how the monks lived, what sources 

 of information they enjoyed, how they occupied their time, and 

 what dangers they were exposed to and sufferings they endured. 



Their food consisted of beef, mutton, bacon, poultry, souce or 

 tripe, salmon, codlings, red herrings, and lobsters. Bread was 

 made of wheat and maslin ; oatmeal was used, probably to make 

 "crowdy^^ and "hasty-pudding;" their vegetables were split 

 beans and peas; butter was also an article of diet; and for con- 

 diments they had saffron, salt, mustard and pepper, the latter 

 being ground by themselves in pepper and mustard " querns.^' 

 Porpoises and the sea birds, though now despised even by vulgar 

 tastes, were used as food, and even regarded as delicacies, for 

 they were sent from the islands to Durham to add to the plea- 

 sures of the table on feast-days : at the feast of St. Andrew's in 

 Advent a "porpais" was sent, and in another year six dozen 

 " wyelfoyle " (wildfowl) and four puffins. For drink, the monks 

 had wine, which they would receive annually from the corpora- 

 tion of Newcastle, and ale which they brewed in considerable 

 quantities both from the malt of barley and oats. The brew- 

 house was amply supplied with brewing utensils, and in a.d. 

 1370 there were laid up in the granary 12|^ quarters of barley 

 malt and 12 quarters of malt oats. Their household utensils 

 were chiefly of wood, with a few of tin, lead, brass, and horn. 

 Earthenware is not mentioned; and of glass there were only 



